1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to a cooking device with a controller and a method for automatic cleaning of a cooking device.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
Currently, automated cleaning systems are a common feature for the oven cavity of a hot air steaming oven (“hot-air-steamers”). Different automated cleaning systems for hot-air-steamers are described in EP1473521, EP1717518 and EP1953458. Each of these cleaning systems does not offer an interaction allowing the operator to vary or freely set the parameters of the cleaning sequence besides the choice of a preset soiling level.
There is a current cleaning system that takes into account the cooking operations since the last cleaning cycle and is able to recommend a cleaning sequence according to a calculated degree of soiling. Another current cleaning system offers a “green spirit” option that allows: (a) skipping the drying step after cleaning, (b) skipping the rinsing step, or (c) reducing the amount of water used. However, none of these systems allows for setting these parameters, by an operator or automatically through other commands, according to needs or demands for the use of the hot-air-steamer.
Also known is a cleaning system as described in EP 1953457. In EP '457, disclosed is an automated cleaning process for removing dirt, lime and/or corrosion that depends on a degree of soiling. The degree of soiling appears to be determined automatically with the use of a turbidity sensor. Once the degree of soiling is determined, a number of cleaning “points”, i.e., times for repeated cleaning cycles represented by a first time t1 and a second time t2, are initiated. EP '457 describes a complete automated cleaning sequence to include (1) temperature at which the dirt is burned, (2) duration of the burning process to determine the degree of soiling, (3) determining a first quantity by a temperature profile with a number of cleaning points being assigned to each value of the temperature during the period of time between t1 and t2, (4) creating a temperature profile and assigning a number of cleaning points to each temperature value, (5) the number of cleaning points is zero at t1, (6) t2 is determined by a threshold level of cleanliness, i.e. threshold number of cleaning points, etc. EP '457 also includes a general discussion about determining a cleaning process based upon quantities of time, temperature, mechanical action and chemical action, but does not appear to provide any description or discussion of initiating a cleaning cycle by an operator-controlled system or method using any one or more of these parameters.